Gibbs' Quiver
by KrisShannon
Summary: A story explaining how NCIS' Lead Special Agent's four 'surrogate kids' came to have their own rooms at the house of Gibbs….


** A shout out and thank you to **_GeneaLady_** for this story idea. I hope I make you proud. **

_**Inspired from an excerpt in my story 'Safe Haven':**_ He laughed to himself as he remembered the day he had told Tony, Tim, Ziva and Abby that the two bedrooms upstairs were now designated for his 'sons and daughters' and their excitement when he told them to decorate the rooms to their liking.

_**Summary:**_ _A story explaining how NCIS' Lead Special Agent's four 'surrogate kids' came to have their own rooms at the house of Gibbs…. Psalms 127:4-5A - "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them…"_

Gibbs was putting the finishing touches on the last piece of furniture he had so meticulously been fashioning. It had not been easy keeping this project secret, but in the end he had accomplished his goal. For several months now, he had been gathering the perfect lumber, then cutting, sanding, building, staining and varnishing the pieces to perfection.

He sat back and observed the four sets with much pride. Four twin beds, whose headboards each displayed a small carving distinctive of its intended occupant… a bat, an olive branch, a movie reel and a typewriter. In addition to the beds, there were four night stands, four dressers and four small book shelves. He had poured as much love into the pieces as he had his blood, sweat and 'elbow grease'. Now they were ready for presentation and he was ready for what they represented. Gibbs was finally opening his heart, his home and his life after many years of secluded mourning for the wife and daughter he had lost so tragically.

Now all that was left to do was clear out two of his four bedrooms upstairs and call a 'family meeting'. As he admired his work he thought back to the evening he had decided the time had come for him to make this change in his life.

****Flashback** ** _Gibbs' team had just closed a difficult case that took longer than expected to investigate. Once again, as with most of the murder cases, each member of the MCRT was exhausted and emotionally worn-out. Everyone had spent every waking minute working the case and doing all they could to bring closure and peace to the victims' loved ones. And… as had become the custom after such a harrowing investigation, Gibbs found his home occupied by his three agents and his one forensic specialist. While it was common knowledge Gibbs had an 'open door' policy for his team, he could not recall how or when this 'tradition' began, nevertheless, that evening each of his 'kids' had made their way to his house and were now camped out on his living room floor, huddled around the fireplace roasting marshmallows for the s'mores they were making. Of course, McGee had his trusty bag of Nutter Butters in hand as he did not care for the gooey treat._

_Gibbs had come up from his basement to give his coffee cup yet another 'warm up' when he heard laughter coming from his front room. He decided to go check on the group, just to make sure nothing of significance had caught fire. He stood in the doorway and watched as the four sat snuggled together glaring at the fire, while Tony, Abby and Ziva held their camp forks steadily. Of course DiNozzo was giving step-by-step instructions to the girls on how to roast the perfect marshmallow as the two listened intently. _

_As Gibbs watched them, he began his mental assessment of where he would put each one for the night. This had always been an issue when all four stayed at the same time. Most often, on these occasions, the boys were given the couch and an inflatable mattress to fight over and the girls were put upstairs in the one room he kept as his 'guest' room. Nobody seemed to mind the arrangement, but it had started to weigh a little on Gibbs' mind. _

_He thought about how, over the years, each one had begun to make themselves comfortable in his home and how he had become a father figure to them. Both Abby and Ziva had several sets of clothes and pajamas, as well as toiletries they kept here for when a visit extended too late into the night for them to drive home safely, or when they just felt the need to be with their 'Dad'. Tony and Tim also had items of clothing and such that were stashed in the guest room for when an overnight stay occurred. It was clear all four felt safe here. Gibbs' house had become a sanctuary for them and they loved being here as much as he loved having them stay._

_Was it any wonder they liked being here and considered him their surrogate dad? While Tony was beginning to get to know 'Senior' a little better these days, his father had been anything but the ideal parent. Tim's father had been distant his whole life. Whenever the two were together, Admiral McGee was critical of everything Tim had accomplished. Eli David, as far as Gibbs was concerned, was the 'poster boy' of horrible fathers, having raised his daughter to be a cold blooded killer and then sending her off on a suicide mission for his own political purposes. Once it was clear something had gone wrong, he never searched for Ziva, leaving her to whatever fate had been dealt. Then there was his Abby. Unlike the others, she had experienced a good childhood. However, she had lost her parents in her early teens and clearly longed for and needed the love and guidance of a father in her adult life._

_Gibbs felt privileged to be considered such an important part of these four amazing young lives. He wanted to give them everything they had been denied from their biological fathers. It also did not go unnoticed by Gibbs that he had been given a gift, a second chance to be a father and he wanted to enjoy everything that blessing held._

_As he stood there contemplating sleeping arrangements, he also came to the realization that it was time to make some changes in his home to better accommodate his 'family'. When he and Shannon chose this house, they loved that it had four bedrooms. While they already had Kelly to occupy one of the rooms, they had hopes and dreams of filling the other two with future siblings for their sweet girl. Those dreams never came to be, and after the devastating loss of his wife and daughter, Gibbs closed the rooms up and began sleeping on the couch. Over time, he made his way back to the master bedroom, but kept Kelly's room and the others shut up. Only after his team began their impromptu visits did he fix up one of the bedrooms as a guest room. _

_With a mission in mind, Gibbs began making plans to build furniture to be placed in two of the bedrooms and storing away Kelly's things in order to make her room a guest room for when his father, Jackson, came for a visit. It seemed this decision had brought a peace to Gibbs' life, a peace he had not felt for a very long time. He was excited to get started on this project and decided to keep it a secret until he had everything ready for his 'kids' to set up their rooms. _

_Gibbs was lost in thought as he continued to watch the four laughing and making their fireplace treats, when all the sudden he heard Abby call for him to come over and join them. Seeing their faces light up with smiles in anticipation of him joining in on the fun made Gibbs realize his plan was exactly the perfect thing to do. _ ****End Flashback****

Gibbs took out his cell and began to make the necessary calls to Tony, Tim, Ziva and Abby. He told them to be at his house the next afternoon. With it being the team's weekend off rotation, this would be the perfect time to make his presentation. Abby, being Abby, tried to get Gibbs to tell her what was going on. But he held his ground and told her not to worry and just be at the house by 13:00 the next day, which was Saturday.

After the calls were made and the plans were set, Gibbs headed upstairs to the two bedrooms he wanted to clear. Because they had never been occupied by anyone, the rooms were fairly sparse, except for a few boxes that had been hastily shoved through their doors for storage. After bringing the items he wanted to keep up to the attic, Gibbs tied up the large bag of trash and carried it down to the garbage can in his garage. After a quick shower, he headed to bed, eager for the excitement the next day would bring.

Just a few minutes before 1:00PM, cars began to file into Gibbs' driveway. Abby was the first one in the door, hoping to convince him to 'spill the beans' as to what all this was about. But, much to her worried frustration, Gibbs was true to form, he stayed stoic and would not budge. Soon the others arrived and all four were now lined up, waiting for whatever their surrogate dad had to tell them.

Gibbs kept a very solemn expression on his face as he gruffly commanded, "You four… with me!"

The 'kids' saw they were being lead to the basement and were now beginning to worry about what was about to happen. Most often this meant someone was in trouble, so they each wracked their brains trying to figure out if it was themselves who was the culprit, but none of them could think of anything they had done to merit a 'trip to Dad's basement'. Looking between themselves, they tried to convey their comfort and support for each other.

Gibbs observed the concerned looks and unspoken conversation between the four and struggled to keep the grin off his face. He knew they must think he was about to 'lower the boom' on them, and he was enjoying seeing them squirm just a little. He could hear Mike Franks' voice rasping, "Keep 'em off balance, Probie!" Then he turned towards the group and gave his best 'Papa Gibbs' glare.

"I've been noticing some things going on around here and I have come to a decision to make some changes that will have a bearing on each of you. I feel it's time to instigate some new arrangements and new rules for this house." Gibbs watched as Abby, Tony, Tim and Ziva looked between him and each other with worry and concern evident on their faces. With a stifled chuckle, he decided to lighten things up and 'let the cat out of the bag'.

He softened his face and voice as he continued to speak. "Over the last several years it seems that you four have made this house an important part of your lives and I am very pleased you have. I am happy you feel comfortable and safe here. I am honored you like being here with me and I am honored each of you have chosen me to fill the role of surrogate father for you." Gibbs watched as each one relaxed and listened closely to what he had to say.

"You guys will never know what you have done for me. Because of the trust and love you have shown me, I too, have begun to heal from some very difficult issues in my life. You have given me a second chance at a family, at being a father and I am grateful." Struggling to keep his own emotions in check, he could tell his 'kids' were doing the same, so he continued.

"Because of this gift you four have given me, I have a gift for you." Turning and walking over to the draped sheets, he carefully pulled them off the four sets of bedroom furniture and turned back to the young adults who were standing with their eyes wide with wonder and excitement.

"I have cleared two of the rooms upstairs for you guys. One is the girls' room, the other belongs to you boys. I made each of you a bed, nightstand, dresser and bookshelf. You can select your own mattresses and decorate the rooms any way you wish. These are the changes I have decided to make, and here are the rules…"

Tony, Abby, Ziva and Tim listened closely as their eyes welled up with tears of gratitude and love for this man who meant so much to them.

"Rule number one… my home is also your home. You will always have a place here. Rule number two… anytime, day or night, you want to come here, and for as long as you want to stay, you are welcome. I have made each of you a key for the off-chance I may actually lock the door." This elicited giggles from everyone present, including himself. "And finally, rule number three… you are responsible for your rooms. You are to keep them clean and orderly. You are to keep your beds made when they are unoccupied. You are responsible for washing the linens, the dusting, sweeping and keeping the closets and dresser drawers tidy. I expect the girls to share those chores, as well as the boys, for each of your own rooms. If I find someone is slack in their room chore responsibilities, I will step in and remedy that… understood?"

As four heads bobbed up and down, their answers were spoken clearly. "Yes, Sir." "Yes, Dad." "Sure thing, Boss." "Understood, Gibbs."

"Good. Now, regarding the decorating. I don't care what you want to do, but keep in mind, you are sharing the room. I expect you to work together and there to be no arguing of any kind, OK?"

Again, four bobbing heads indicated their understanding and agreement to the conditions Gibbs had laid out for them and he could see the excitement in their eyes to get started on their rooms. He could also see the overwhelming gratitude they had for all of this. When he indicated his 'speech' was over and they could look over their furniture, he was bombarded with bone crushing hugs from all four at the same time. In the midst of the group hug, the sounds of 'Thank you!', 'Love you!', ' I'm very grateful, Gibbs!' and 'You're awesome, Boss!' filled the basement.

Once the hugs and tears had subsided, Tony, Tim, Abby and Ziva walked over to the furniture. Ziva was the first to notice the carvings on the headboards. Gibbs told them to figure out which carving belonged to which 'kid'. It wasn't long before they were each standing beside the appropriate bedroom set. They were touched that Gibbs had added such a personal element that depicted a special thing about each individual. Tony and Tim were also very grateful Gibbs had made their beds extra long to accommodate their towering frames.

Before long, the 'family' moved upstairs to order Chinese take-out for dinner and talk over plans to begin the decorating of the rooms. It pleased Gibbs to see all four were working together and agreeing to most suggestions each had supplied.

Ziva and Abby had decided on a theme that would accommodate both their tastes. Ziva was happy to incorporate black as an accent color, and Abby loved the idea of the furniture configuration Ziva had come up with. Tony and Tim also were able to settle on a shared theme that would allow each of their interests to be displayed and a furniture placement that worked well for them. Choosing the rooms was also an easy task. Since the girls most often used the 'former' guest room, it was decided they would keep that room and the boys would use the other.

All the 'kids' agreed to help convert Kelly's old room after they finished with their own, and Gibbs was fine with that arrangement. He was very grateful he would not be tackling that particular job alone. He also thought that time together could be spent sharing with his four surrogate kids the life of their sister, Kelly. Perhaps this would serve to further the healing process for him.

A few weeks later all the activities for converting the upstairs were complete. The girls' and boys' rooms had all the finishing touches, reflecting the owners' interests and enjoyments. Tony and Tim and Abby and Ziva had even chosen new carpet for their rooms, as well as flat screen TVs and DVD players and shared the cost.

Kelly's old room was now the new guest room and held a beautiful oak bedroom suite Gibbs had built soon after he and Shannon moved into this house. He and the boys brought it down from the attic where it had been stored for years. Abby and Ziva cleaned and polished each piece of the suite while Gibbs, Tony and Tim painted the room and replaced the carpet. It was now ready for Grandpa Jack's next visit.

In addition to fixing up the other three bedrooms, the 'kids' decided to surprise 'Dad' and gave the master bedroom and bath a much needed renovation. They pitched in to replace the carpet and painted both rooms a nice relaxing color. New bedding and curtains filled the bedroom and matching towels, rugs and a shower curtain in the bath completed the decorating. Gibbs was very pleased with everything and showed his appreciation by throwing a backyard barbeque the next weekend they had off rotation.

As he was firing up the grill, waiting for everyone to arrive, Gibbs was happy he had made the decision to give the rooms to his surrogate children. He knew Shannon would be happy with these changes to his life, as well. Thinking back, all those years ago, when they had chosen this house with the four bedrooms, filled with the dreams of being blessed with more children to occupy them, he knew, in a way, he had accomplished those dreams. The four special young people he called his own, Shannon would have loved as her own. They made this house a home again, just as he and Shannon had meant for it to be. 

** _Again, I would like to thank GeneaLady for this wonderful story idea. Also, I want to give a huge thank you to my very special 'beta reader' and husband, Jeff. Your encouragement and support mean so much to me and give me the courage to write._ **


End file.
